Between stimulus and response there is a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
Viktor E. Frankl

Mindfulness is attending to the present. There is nothing foreign, difficult or exotic about mindfulness. Mindfulness as applied to stress reduction is the most widely known practice, and was developed in the 1970s by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. It is, at its heart, a meditation practice that can be learned and used by anyone. It was initially applied in medical settings with excellent results on depression, anxiety and fear of disease recurrence.
Mindfulness means attending to your current internal and external perceptions. This is greatly facilitated by attending to breathing. Here is a three minute body scan meditation:

Begin by bringing your attention into your body. You can close your eyes if that’s comfortable for you. You can notice your body seated wherever you’re seated, feeling the weight of your body on the chair, on the floor. Take a few deep breaths. And as you take a deep breath, bring in more oxygen enlivening the body. And as you exhale, have a sense of relaxing more deeply. You can notice your feet on the floor, notice the sensations of your feet touching the floor. The weight and pressure, vibration, heat. You can notice your legs against the chair, pressure, pulsing, heaviness, lightness. Notice your back against the chair. Bring your attention into your stomach area. If your stomach is tense or tight, let it soften. Take a breath. Notice your hands. Are your hands tense or tight? See if you can allow them to soften. Notice your arms. Feel any sensation in your arms. Let your shoulders be soft. Notice your neck and throat. Let them be soft. Relax. Soften your jaw. Let your face and facial muscles be soft. Then notice your whole body present. Take one more breath. Be aware of your whole body as best you can. Take a breath. And then when you’re ready, you can open your eyes.
From www.mindful.org

Mindfulness based exercises are currently applied in a wide variety of settings.

The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance by George Mumford, who was the mindfulness coach for the Chicago Bulls Basketball team.
Here are his three principle points in quotes taken from Mindful Feb 2016, pg. 47-54 written by Hugh Delehanty, www.mindful.org:“Be still and know”: Mumford learned the power of stillness from Tai Chi practice. “When the mind is still you have an inner knowing when and how to strike.” This has also been describes as being in the flow.Forget Yourself, Find Yourself: “not how you are doing but what are you doing.”

Classes and Workshops

Highlighted Events:

Mini-Medical School 2018 We are now meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Monterey Peninsula, 490 Aguajito Road, Carmel, CA. We meet the first Saturday of even numbered months (except for October) from 1:30 to 2:30 PM.Dates for 2018 are: Jan 20, Medical GeneticsApril 7, Building a Home Herbal Cabinet June 2, The Wheat of Our Ancestors Aug 4, Inside the Disinformation Playbook Oct 13, Genetic Genealogy with Dr. Barbara Rae-VenterDec 1, Genetics Part 2 Bring your questions and your friends!.

Tai Chi 24 Form Yang Style will start Jan 6, 2018. The final 24 Form class of the spring will be May 19th, 2018. A new Essentials Class will start June 23, 2018 and end Sept 29, 2018. Focus will be on Tai Chi Principles using Silk Reeling exercises as primary practice. This class will help prepare you for the October 13-14, 2018, Silk Reeling Workshop. This class is appropriate for both beginners and experienced practitioners. After the Silk Reeling Workshop, regular classes will resume Oct 20, 27, Nov 3, 10, 17, Dec 1, 8, 15, 2018.Tai Chi classes are held in Pacific Grove at 10:30 AM, Saturdays. Call 831-622-1994 for more information and to register.

Silk Reeling Workshop with Sifu Dan Jones. This will be a two day workshop Oct. 13-14, 2018. Call 831-622-1994 for questions and registration.Preregistration required for Tai Chi Classes and Workshops.

Call us at 831-622-1994 to register for Tai Chi Classes and for general information on Tai Chi or the Mini Medical School.

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